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He was left lying in the road in pain while O'Connor fled the scene, but was later traced and arrested.

On Wednesday, Manchester Crown Court heard that the officer, PC Dave Kerr, initially feared the incident, which left him with muscle damage and severe cuts to his legs, would end his 16 year career with the police.

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DC Terry Macmillan, of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said: “O’Connor was incredibly reckless as he manically drove at anything in his way, showing absolutely no regard for the safety of others.

“The incident unfolded outside a busy nursery at peak time but miraculously no-one else was seriously injured. The mother who was inside the Audi at the time was understandably left incredibly shaken and her child had to be checked over at hospital.

“My thoughts remain with our injured colleague as he recovers from this horrific ordeal at home with his family and I can only commend his incredible bravery throughout this entire process.

“I also want to recognise the innocent people who were sadly caught up in his rampage and those who had to witness it.

“I firmly believe that O’Connor is where he deserves to be – locked away behind bars where he can’t mindlessly hurt anyone else.”

Manchester Crown Court (Image: Manchester Evening News)

The injured officer said: “The incident resulted in me receiving injuries which at the time I thought would end my career with GMP, the force I joined 16 years ago to help the people of Greater Manchester.

“The scars I have sustained will be with me for life and will be a constant reminder of the scariest day of my career.

“O’Connor’s actions have also had a significant impact on my wife and son, who couldn’t understand why someone would want to hurt me.

“I want to thank my family, friends and colleagues for their love and support throughout my recovery along with the medical professionals who have been incredible.”